A Guidebook of Alternative Nows

A Guidebook of Alternative Nows
is a collaboratively created book.
34 visionary creative thinkers and makers contributed to this book which illuminates ways of devising more socially, economically, and ecologically just versions of
now.

Other worlds are possible, but only if we exercise the proper care towards their emergence.
- SPURSE

Risk-taking is not a solo act.
- Temporary Services

The culture of death needs to be jammed.
- The Yes Men

It is time to launch the largest explosion of practical experimentation that our society has ever seen.
- Ethan Miller

 Building an 'alternative' is always an act of hope, its an embodied refusal of the present which unblocks the reigning paralysis fostered by apocalyptic predications of the future. It is a lot easier to imagine the world ending than changing it for the better because there is always comfort in thinking we know what will happen. Ultimately to act from a place of hope is to let go of certainty and to trust that the greatest potential lies within the unknowable.
- The Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination

The statement below was the product of the collaborative efforts of ~60 people over the course of one day on July 4th, infused with the thoughts and energy of the overall Gathering as well as the conversations we had together in the Café in person and via Maestro conference from around the planet from 6/30-7/3
(pdf available here):

Preamble:
We are an interdependent world community. Recognizing we are unique
and whole as individuals, yet part of a greater whole as members of human
society, we seek to create a society that heals the social cancers that so
infect our cultures today. Every piece is essential; every pain is shared, as
we are a living organism.

Accepting the responsibility as authors of our society:

we declare that everyone must have an opportunity to participate.
All
voices are heard and considered. My neighbors needs are my needs and
my neighbors are global; therefore everyones needs must be met in order to
thrive as a global society.

we declare trust in our universal humanity
and recognition of our
capability to transcend fear, and function from compassion and love.

we declare our commitment to respect and steward the
interdependent web of all existence.
We evolve processes and structures
for higher awareness and wisdom of our Earth, people and other animals,
ecosystems, and the entire universe, now and into the future.

Final Statement / Postamble:
We support the inalienable rights of all beings, which cannot be given or
taken, bought or sold. We declare our commitment to these points by
working together in solidarity for a thriving, sustainable Earth.

The above recording is of a presentation Manfred Hellrigl gave to an audience in Stockholm, Sweden, starting out with the following questions... (My notes below are not a 1-to-1 verbatim match to what Manfred is presenting, they also include some interpretations/adaptations)

- How can we secure our standard of living?
- How can we secure a good future for our kids?
- Who will take care of us when we need care?
- How can we deal with growing diversity?
- How can we deal with the growing complexity?
- Who will pay the debt?
- Why are we in debt?
- What's going wrong?
- Who is to blame?

Political dilemma of sustainability - people that face it are un-re-electable.

Who is going to solve these issues if we can't expect it from the
political system?
how can it be that the political system developed in a way that it
doesn't solve the big and important issues we are confronted with?

Citizens are treated as customers

Politics/parliament, economy and experts run the system, citizens are a
mere disturbance vulnerable to lobbyism

Study of volunteering in Europe - countries with the least engaged
citizens have the most trouble in the current economic crisis.

We need active, engaged, collaborative citizens

How can we support and promote civil engagement
How can we make people step out of there comfort zone and do something
for their neighborhood, community, town they are living in

Appreciative inquiry: looking for what is working instead of looking
to fix what is not

- Acupuncture points (find the change makers)
- Self-organisation (let them do it their way)
- How to organize self-organisation (example roundabout)

Langenegg example: snowball method
- found the major
- major selected 15 random citizens
- 15 random citizens were invited to come back with 2 more each
- 45 gathered to make a list of key individuals in the community
- 200 people were invited to network
- encouraged to talked about whatever they wanted

Proposal for child friendliness:
Citizens jury:
- 2000 randomly selected, invited
- 75 agreed to take four days off work unpaid
also included 50 children in a future conference
and open space with 60 experts
Result:
what children and adults proposed was at least as interesting as what
experts suggested

Citizens jury is too expensive

Cheaper: wisdom councils

Random selection: can't use brochure/poster to invite. must instead
pick directly/randomly and tell that they were chosen

Your email address:
The "Decentralize" Newsletter
Exchanging ideas for building a
decentralized fabric of society.
Making true democracy work on a larger
scale while decentralizing "everything",
benefiting from local diversity and
global synergies at the same time.
http://tinyletter.com/zumbrunn